


The play's the thing

by clumsyghost



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: Eventual smut in the last chapter, M/M, obligatory high school AU except they're teachers, slow burn friendship into love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-02-26 14:09:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18718639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clumsyghost/pseuds/clumsyghost
Summary: Octavius changes careers to pursue teaching. Will Mr. Smith be a help or a hindrance? Probably both.





	1. Chapter 1

Student rosters? Printed and sorted.

Pressed suit designed to establish authority on the first day of school tomorrow? Check.

Unshakable confidence that changing careers at the age of forty-three was going to work out perfectly well? Not so much.

Octavius inhaled a long sip of coffee. It was six o’clock in the morning and instead of boarding the elevator bound for his top-floor executive office, he was sitting in the parking lot of Theodore Roosevelt High School. Only a few other vehicles had arrived. Most of the staff were probably taking advantage of the between-semester teacher workday. Octavius didn’t have that luxury. He was anxious to get into his classroom and set everything up before the students arrived the following day. He had received his keys last week but had been unable to see his room until now.

Taking another fortifying sip, Octavius made his way to the entrance. An easy swipe of his ID card clicked his way into the building. It was only when he walked through the desolate main office into a dimly-lit hallway that he realized that he had no idea in which direction his classroom lay. Eliminating the right path with its plethora of historical posters, he ventured left. Door after door, down the long hallway and around the corner and none labeled for his subject area. Octavius was debating going up the stairs when he finally spotted a classroom with an open door.

“Hello?” He walked towards the light. Inside, a woman with long dark hair was writing on the board. Octavius was impressed at the elegant handwriting.

“Hello. Do you need help?”

“Yes, please. I’m looking for um, C Hall?”

“I can take you there. I’m Sacagawea Porivo, by the way.” She held out her hand with a smile.

“Octavius Gaius.” He shook her hand gratefully. They kept up the small talk as she led him to his classroom, down a flight of stairs and towards the back of the building. With one last expression of gratitude to his guide, Octavius turned to his classroom. The back door to the auditorium was just a few feet away, an ideal setup.

He pulled open one half of the oversized double doors and stepped inside. A mess of chairs and a few tables were bunched together in the back of the room, making the already large space look even emptier. The previous teacher hadn’t taken the time to completely remove all the papers or staples on the bulletin boards. Half-erased words littered the whiteboard. Evidence of previous theatrical exercise remained immortalized in the scraps of colored tape throughout the floor. Even the teacher’s desk was askew. Octavius surveyed his new domain with a critical eye. Next order of the day: cleanup.

Time passed easily as he worked. Already his new-found career was proving to be much different than his routine at his previous position, a fact that cheered him immensely. Success had came easily at his uncle’s company, but here was a new beginning.

Using a systematic approach, Octavius tackled each untidy mess. By now, other teachers had entered the building, evident from the opening and slamming of doors throughout the halls, as well as the rise in conversational chatter. No one approached his classroom, which was just as well. He was there to get things done, not make friends. He caught glimpses of his colleagues here and there as he ventured out to throw junk into the large hallway trash can.

He stepped outside the door to toss the latest pile of debris when suddenly a coffee cup whizzed by, nearly missing him. Octavius froze as the projectile hit the side of the container. A faint whiff of coffee rose upwards.

“Dagnabit! Yer as quiet as a ninja. I didn’t hit you, did I?”

Octavius’ stoney gaze rose to observe a wide-eyed man with a cowboy hat. His shaggy golden hair nearly touched his shoulders. The Italian judged him to be a year or two younger than himself. In jeans and several layers of wrinkled shirts, he was the picture of careless indifference. Combined with the fact that he was over an hour late for work, he was obviously one of Those Teachers - the hip teacher who tries too hard to relate to their students and was basically there to collect a paycheck. Every high school had at least one. Octavius could well remember the frustration of enduring a class where the so-called ‘teacher’ would pass out a worksheet and retire to their desk. No teaching or learning involved. Pathetic.

Before Octavius could pull away, the man snagged the cuff of his sweater for inspection.

“Looks right as rain. No harm done.” He didn’t have the decency to even pretend to look regretful. “You the new drama teacher?”

“I prefer ‘Theatre Arts’, but yes, I am.” Octavius smoothed down his sleeve.

“Jedediah Smith. Folks call me Jed.” With an easy grin, Jed extended his hand. Octavius reluctantly shook with him. The man’s grip was strong, his fingers calloused. “I teach Vocational classes. Animal Science, Horticulture. Stuff like that.”

“Octavius Gaius.” Oh… this guy’s eyes were very blue. Oct’s heart did an entirely unnecessary flutter.

“Sounds Italian,” Jed remarked. “Your name and the accent.”

“Sounds Texan. Your name and the accent,” Octavius responded dryly. “The hat doesn’t help either.”

“Hey now. You can’t go around insultin’ a man’s hat, that’s not how we do things ‘round here.” Jed drawled.

“But you do throw trash at people. Good to know.” He hoped all his colleagues weren’t as flippant as this man.

Jed laughed. “I didn’ throw it at ya! I threw it at the trash can. Not my fault you got in the way."

“Mmhm. For a guy who teaches about animals and therefore I would assume, the environment, you don’t seem particularly concerned with recycling.” 

“For a newbie, you sure are showing your ‘assumptions’. Well, just holler if you need anything, I’m right down the hall.” Jed thumbed vaguely to the right. Octavius nodded politely, privately dismissing the offer. He doubt he would need anything from such an undisciplined teacher.

Once back inside his classroom, Octavius ran through his mental checklist.

He could do this.


	2. Chapter 2

He couldn’t do this.

Three student write-up sheets laid on his desk. Half his students were already failing the course. The prop closet was a disastrous mess and he had already re-organized it twice.

Today was only Tuesday of the third week of the semester. He couldn’t do this.

Octavius cradled his head in his hands. He was finally on his planning period, but he had no appetite to eat lunch. His mind was crammed with everything he had to complete or do: hallway duty, phone home to parents, initial PDP, IEP and PLC meetings, PSDA paperwork, and half a dozen other acronyms.

He was so, so tired.

The classroom door clicked open. The distinct sound of heavy boots on the tile floor didn’t motivate Octavius to look up, but the unusual addition of a faint tapping noise did. For a moment, all he could do was stare.

“What’s up, Octopus?” Mr. Jedediah Smith swaggered into the room, followed at the heels by the tiniest ewe Octavius had ever seen. Not that he had seen many in real life. Just on television. And the internet. Television lambs usually didn’t have sweaters on.

“It’s Octavius, Mary.” The Italian leaned back, crossing his arms. As Jed approached his desk, he could see that in addition to the sweater, the ewe had on a diaper. He didn’t know whether to laugh or take some tylenol. “How’d you get it to follow you like that? Food or…?”

“Herd instinct. She’ll follow anyone or anything that starts moving. You wanna see? C’mon, don’t be shy,” Jed motioned for Octavius to get up. Feigning indifference, he stood and came around his desk.

“Jus' start walking. I’ll stay here, so she’ll follow ya. Go on.” Jed watched with a smile as the Italian hesitated then took a few steps. Octavius glanced behind him, his doubtful expression melting into surprised happiness as the ewe followed in his direction. It took a few more steps before Octavius was fully convinced that the other teacher wasn’t playing a prank on him. He wandered around the room, weaving between the tables as the lamb stuck by him, one step behind. Finally Octavius took pity on the young animal and walked back over to Jedediah.

“What’s her name?” Octavius bent down to pat the lamb on the head. There wasn’t much reaction from the animal.

“Uh, well, my second block won the rights to name her and her twin,” Jed bent and scooped the lamb up in his arms after Octavius straightened. “Her sister is ‘Polly’ and, well, this here is Esther.”

“That’s terrible.” A smile crept on Octavius’ face as he reached out to give the lamb another pat.

“Yup. But they had the highest average on the test, so what can you do?” Jed shrugged.

“Do you have an entire farm of animals named by your students?” Octavius couldn’t help but ask.

“Not yet, but I might ‘fore I retire,” Jed smiled. “Now then, you were lookin’ pretty down when I first came in. Having issues with the kids?”

“No.” The smile faded from Octavius’ face as he was reminded of the day’s failures. “Everything’s fine.”

“Hmm. Three write-ups don’t sound ‘fine’,” Jed nodded towards the telling bright pink color on the desk. “What’d they do?”

For a moment, Octavius resisted. Slowly he began talking, all the frustrations spilling out in a steady stream. How uneganged his students were. All the little obligations that took up the school day, meetings and regulations that took away from teaching. It felt so good to voice his dissatisfaction that it took Octavius a while to calm down.

He shouldn’t be venting to Smith of all people. The cowboy was listening, still holding his diapered lamb. Everything about this situation was absurd. Octavius broke off mid-sentence and fell silent.

“Anytime you feel overwhelmed, you come to my room, alright? The worst thing you can do is isolate yourself in yer room.” Jed put the lamb down and motioned for Octavius to take a seat. The cowboy grabbed one of the student chairs and dragged it closer to the teacher's desk. Of course he had to straddle it backwards.

“Right, well, in my opinion, the quicker you learn the word ‘no’, the better off you’ll be. You’re a beginning teacher, so you don't hafta do all the extra committees and such. They’ll be time for that stuff next year. Now, as far as the students go,” Jed leaned forward, his bright eyes fixing on Octavius. “Amigo, they’re kids. You gotta talk to them.” He spread the three write-ups apart and tapped the middle sheet. “Larry? He’s sleeping in your class because he works late after school. He’s a teen dad and he’s working a job to support the baby.”

“Oh…” Octavius didn’t know how to respond. Larry hadn’t mentioned that fact on his get-to-know-you sheet on the first day of class.

“Attila just transferred here about a month ago. He’s still learning English.” Jed scanned the other teacher’s notes written on the discipline log. “It’s possible he didn’t understand yer directions, not that he refused to participate. Just sayin’. And Amelia’s parents travel a lot. She rarely sees them, so yeah, she acts out for attention. Just talk to her privately or better yet, make her the class leader. She’s a good kid.”

“You have an excuse for everyone, don’t you?” The Italian folded his arms over his chest. In spite of his words, he felt a pang of doubt. It was harder to dismiss the man’s casual attitude towards teaching when his explanations were reasonable. If what Jed said was true, then… poor kids. Being a teenager was difficult enough without extra issues.

“Not an excuse, no, but a little understanding can go a long way. If you get to know your students, everything will go smoother. I ain’t sayin’ let them run over you, but you gotta pick your battles. Besides. You should probably loosen up a bit. Drama’s supposed to be fun, right?”

“Not all of us take our responsibilities so lightly, Mr. Smith.” Octavius’ frown was back. So was that annoying twinkle in Jed’s eyes. 

“Whatever ya say, amigo. I should probably take Esther outside for a bit. Catch ya around.” If Jed was waiting for an expression of gratitude, he wasn’t to receive one. Octavius silently watched the teacher stroll out the door, lamb at his heels. At least he had been polite enough to return his chair to its rightful place before leaving.

In the ensuing quiet, Octavius remained deep in thought for several minutes. With an inward sigh, he reached for the write-ups. They were neatly torn down the middle, folded, then torn again. Pink scraps rained down into the trash can.


	3. Chapter 3

Field trip day. As a student, there was nothing better. A day away from classes with all your friends? There should be field trips every week!

Being behind the scenes definitely put a different perspective on childhood memories. Octavius smoothed out a crinkle in the paper he was holding. He hadn’t known how long the process would be when he first came up with the idea of taking his students to the local theatre company to see a play. The first requirement had been department head approval. Then principal approval. Someone from the school district had also been appealed to. Permission slips came next: distribute and collect. Obtain a school bus. Beg colleagues to see who would drive the bus. Continue asking to see if anyone, anyone other than Jedediah Smith would drive them. Give in, accept defeat. Keep record of mileage upon departure and arrival of bus. Make sure the bus driver doesn’t venture from the predetermined plan.

“Two miles, round trip. I promise the food is worth it.” Jed lifted his voice over the rumble of the bus.

“Mr. Smith, I didn’t include stopping for lunch on the paperwork.” Octavius shook his head. He was sitting in the first seat diagonal from the driver, carefully watching the other teacher’s actions. Never had a school bus been driven so fast. Octavius hadn’t complained; they had made it to the theatre with time to spare. But judging from Mr. Smith’s persistence on stopping for lunch, they would not be returning in quite the same fashion.

“No one’s going to say anything if your calculations are a little off. Hey guys!” Jed lifted his gaze to the rearview mirror. “You wanna grab some lunch while we’re out?”

Cheers erupted from the students.

“Looks like you’re outvoted, Mr. Gaius.”

“Jed,” Octavius hissed, “what if the students didn’t bring any money?”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, Octagon. The restaurant takes credit,” Jed drawled. Catching the other man’s expression in the mirror, he smiled reassuringly. “Hey. I have this covered. Consider this lunch a gift from the FFA. I’ll get reimbursed by the school so no skin off my nose.”

Octavius sullenly remained silent as they pulled into the parking lot of Fanny’s Flapjack Factory. Once the bus lurched to a stop, the students tumbled off chatting excitedly. Following Octavius off the bus, Jed removed his wallet from his back pocket and fished out his credit card.

“What’s the FFA?” Octavius held the restaurant door open and motioned for the other man to enter first, earning him an odd look which he chose to ignore.

“Future Farmers of America. The club I sponsor. We do plenty of fundraisers and I brought us here, so my treat,” Jed explained.

“Well, I suppose it will be your treat as there isn’t a viable alternative.”

“A ‘thank you’ wouldn’t kill you, ya know. Considering I’m your knight in shining armor comin’ to the rescue.”

“Mi fai ridere. More like ‘cowboy of mayhem in denim’,” Octavius muttered. Jed looked as if he was about to object to that dishonorable title when his attention was diverted by a student’s question.

“Mr. Smith! Can I get a milkshake too?” Amelia grinned excitedly at the possibility.

“Heck yeah,” Jed replied cheerfully. An excited murmur spread throughout the group. Octavius chuckled at the slowly dawning regret on the cowboy’s face. 

“This is going to be an expensive lunch. I hope your club has done a lot of fundraising,” he smirked. He placed his order, flapjacks with strawberries and coffee, and went to wait in the pickup line with the students. The food was ready surprisingly fast. Plate in hand, Octavius took a seat with clear views of the students and all exits. Taking a bite of flapjack, he watched the kids chatting among themselves, hoping they were discussing the play they’d seen, knowing full well they were not.

“What’d ya think? Delicious, right?” Jed’s plate unceremoniously plopped down on the table across from the Italian’s. Jed followed suit in a chair, his smile back in place. In one fluid motion, he removed his hat and hung it on the back of a spare chair. Octavius blinked. He hadn’t seen his collegue without his trademark cowboy hat before. Impossibly, Jed looked even more mischievous than ever. Without the obscuring shade of the hat, Octavius was receiving the full effect of the cowboy’s blue eyes. His blond hair was perfectly disheveled and Octavius wanted nothing more than to reach over and smooth it down.

Jed raised an eyebrow as he waited for an answer.

“Yes, I will grant you these flapjacks are indeed delicious.” Octavius cleared his throat.. “But should we be eating together? Perhaps we should split up to keep an eye on the students.”

“You really don’t like me, do you?” For some reason, Jed seemed amused.

“I simply find your impulsiveness stressful.” That was not entirely true. Octavius envied Jedediah’s spontaneous nature. His childhood had been all about order and restraint. Plans and details. Routine. Preciseness. Such deeply cultivated habits made for a very successful career but perhaps a lonely and uninspiring personal life. 

“Well, as long as it’s nothing personal.” Jed shoveled a big forkful of flapjack into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “I thought drama teachers were supposed to be good with, like, improv.”

“I am quite good at improv, thank you. I prefer to match wits with someone equal to my own, though.”

“You gotta mighty high opinion of ya’self.” Jed shook his head. “So what made you go from being Mr. CEO of a Fortune 500 company to a high school teacher?”

Octavius blanched. He glanced around but none of the students were paying any attention to the two teachers. A frown settled into place as he turned back to Jed. He had purposely kept his past career vague whenever questioned, not out of shame, no, he had done very well for himself as well as his company, but he was aware that people would treat him differently if they knew of his previous position.

“You looked me up?” Instead of answering, Octavius posed a question of his own.

“What makes you think I did?” Jed shot back.

“I haven’t told anyone about my previous career.” Octavius pointed his forkful of flapjack at the cowboy. “Therefore, you must have researched me on the internet.”

“Oh. Uh, well… I was just curious, is all.” Jed reached up as if to adjust his hat. Realizing said hat was perched elsewhere, he awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. Octavius would have thought this rather cute if Jed wasn’t currently in possession of his secret. “So? Some kind of a weird mid life crisis or somethin’?”

“I am not that old, thank you. And I wasn’t the CEO either. That was my uncle.” Surprisingly, Octavius didn’t feel all that angry. Something about Jed’s crooked smile told him not to take the comment too seriously. He still hesitated, studying Jed. The cowboy was such a jokester, artlessly open and yet Octavius knew very little about him. On the other hand, Jed had known about his previous position for who knows how many weeks and he hadn’t changed his behavior towards him.

“I… was sick for a while. Afterwards, I felt like a change was needed. I enjoyed my career but I wanted to do something more meaningful,” Octavius began to explain. Jed nodded, quiet for a change. “I wanted… to do something that I wished to do, and not just... what my family expected.”

“I knew there was some rebelliousness in ya somewhere,” Jed leaned forward. “Nah, don’t try to deny it. Good for you!. Takes some courage to do things differently, and you’ve stuck with teachin’ pretty well. Got to admit I didn’ think ya would. I gave ya a month tops before I thought you’d quit, but it’s a good thing I’m not a bettin’ man. Well. I didn’t bet on that anyway.”

“Thank you.” Octavius titled his chin up. “I think.”

“Now all we gotta do is get you to be not so uptight.”

“You’re so rude!”

“Oh please. Bet you have a terrible work-life balance. When’s the last time you had fun? Your life is just about work, ain’t it?”

“That’s not true,” Octavius replied, stung. Memories of long nights working overtime flashed in his mind. He had felt more at home at his office than his old apartment. Perhaps there was a little truth in Jed’s words… 

“Oh yeah? I noticed there is no Mrs. Gaius.” Jed chased the last bite of flapjack with his fork.

Heat burned Octavius’ ear. Suddenly the flapjacks rested a little too heavily in his stomach. His mouth became so dry it required a long sip of coffee. “Mrs. Gaius is my mother,” he blurted out as he sat his mug down. He immediately regretted his words; they had sounded better in his head.

“Wow. Is that what passes for wits these days?” Jed smirked at him. “Yer definitely going to need a wingman if you wanna get a date, amigo.”

“This conversation is getting inappropriate,” Octavius snapped. He carefully placed his fork and knife on his plate. “We should be leaving now. Back on the bus in two minutes!” He directed this last statement to the tables of students. Ignoring Jed, he went to the bathroom to wash the sticky remains of syrup off his hands. When they met outside by the bus, Octavius had fully summoned his coldest CEO Boss facade. No one had ever dared to argue with him when he got like this, and Octavius was satisfied to see that the look worked on his current colleague as well, who only tipped his hat in his direction as he boarded the bus. One roll call later, they were back on the road. The journey back to school was a quiet one. Even the students seemed to pick up on the teachers’ mood. Or perhaps they were just full and sleepy from lunch.

Unfortunately, Octavius had one last piece of field trip business to complete. He waited until all the students had deboarded before approaching the driver.

“I need the milage, Mr. Smith.” In response, Jed slapped an empty candy wrapper over the odometer. What a child.

“Alright, but first I wanna apologize.”

“Just the milage will be fine,” Octavius insisted.

“Gaius. I ain’t gonna tease you. An’ I’m sorry for being Nosey-Nellie like.”

“Fine. I appreciate that.”

“Well, I figured…” Jed hesitated. He appeared to be choosing his words carefully. Octavius was surprised he had that capability. Jed’s mouth just seemed to run on its own accord. “You might jus’ need a friend first.”

“We’re friends?”

“Boy,” Jed drawled, “yer crazier than a road lizard. Course we’re friends. I don’t jus’ take anyone to eat flapjacks.”

“..........You literally just took an entire bus of students.”

“Jus’ for you, though!”

In spite of himself, Octavius couldn’t help a smile at the cowboy’s cheerfulness. “Right. Well, let’s see how many miles your dedication to friendship has thrown off my calculations.”

“Yer dramatic as all get-out.” Jed snatched the wrapper off the dashboard. Octavius was forced to lean forward to read the odometer. He tried not to notice Jed’s scent, a faintly woodsy musk, or the way his eyes crinkled at the corners as he tilted his head up to watch. For some reason Octavius’ cheeks heated at the scrutiny. He focused on his paper instead, precisely recording the number in the little blank box.

“Thank you for driving us.” He hardly spared the cowboy a parting glance as he marched off the bus. To his chagrin, he was quite startled when Jed beeped the bus horn as he walked around the front of the vehicle. His glare made little dent in Jed’s laughter. The cowboy was still grinning as the bus pulled away.

Such a child.


	4. Chapter 4

“So, what _do_ you do for fun?”

Octavius looked up from signing his name to the meeting attendance roster. By now, he was used to the Texan’s random segues, but he didn’t always grace them with a response. As he moved from the counter to take a seat, Jed followed him, choosing the chair next to him. This was new. Staff meetings usually found Jedediah sitting in the back of the library, laughing with his group of cronies and not paying much attention. Octavius saw the exchange of odd looks from his department members out of the corner of his eye. 

“Well?” Jed persisted.

“Why does it matter so much to you? What do you think I do for fun?” Octavius countered. 

“I dunno. Probably something boring like reading about history.”

“Not a big fan of intellectual pursuits, huh? Does it tax your brain too much?”

“I ain’t afeared of books. I’d just rather be doing something with my hands. Moving around, exploring places.” A testament to Jed’s restlessness, his pen tapped repeatedly against the table as he talked. Octavius had to resist the urge to take it away from him. “What about you?”

“Well, I do enjoy learning about the history of my country, but I pursue other interests as well. Music. Cooking. Spear-throwing.” That last one never failed to raise eyebrows, and Octavius was gratified to see Jed look suitably impressed.

“Wow. A real renaissance guy.” _Spear throwing?_ Jed eyed the theatre teacher thoughtfully. Octavius certainly looked fit enough, but he would not have guessed it would have been from any real effort. 

“Oh, there’s a big word for you.” Octavius smirked at Jed’s scowl.

“Must take some arm muscle to toss a spear,” Jed spoke slyly, “but ain’t no way you’re stronger than me. Only decades of farm work can give you this kind of body.” He thumped his chest.

Octavius laughed outright. He reached over and finally snatched the tapping pen out of Jed’s hand. The Texan made to grab it back, but was neatly blocked.

“Prove it then.” Octavius held up the pen just out of Jed’s reach. “Not this; a real challenge.”

“Alright then. How about a race? Tomorrow after school, on the track. Loser has to make the winner’s copies for a month.”

“I accept.”

“Great!” Jed grinned. “See ya then, Octagon.” He rose from his chair and prized his pen from the other teacher’s fist. He got his revenge in the form of poking the back of Octavius’ neck with said pen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday. 1530. Apparently some students weren’t very eager to begin their weekend. Octavius eyed the small crowd of teenagers milling about the bleachers. Trust Mr. Smith to hype up their little wager.

“I see you’ve blabbed our race to the students,” he called out as Jedediah strolled onto the track. The vocational teacher was sporting tennis shoes rather than his usual boots. Octavius also noticed that his shirt was unbuttoned just enough to reveal the hollow of his throat.

“Just brought some witnesses to watch you eat dust.” Jed removed his hat with a wink. “Y'all ready?!”

Amid the cheers and whoops of laughter, the two teachers walked to the starting line. Jed made a show of exaggerated stretching; Octavius rolled his eyes as he pretended not to watch. He had already completed his stretching as he had waited for Jed to show.

“Copies for a month,” Jed reminded him. Octavius nodded, attention fixed on the student self-appointed to run the countdown.

“Three… two… one… go!” The crowd chanted. Jed lunged forwards. Octavius got one last glimpse of a shit-eating grin before the Texan pulled away. His steps were energetic, quick, and not at all measured. For the first stretch, Octavius remained behind, watching and waiting to see how long Jed’s energy would last. Once they rounded the second turn, Octavius picked up speed, long strides eating the distance between them. He couldn’t help but toss his hand out in a wave as he passed the Texan. Jed hollered in reply. His second wind came too late; Octavius crossed the line as Jed was rounding the third corner.

“Copies for a month,” Octavius crowed as Jed staggered up to him. He smiled as Jed bent over to catch his breath. “You alright? Your face is awfully red. Farm work doesn’t do much for stamina, huh?”

“You. Me. Rock climbing at the rec center tomorrow.” Jed straightened and mopped his brow with a handkerchief.

Octavius tilted his chin up with a smirk. Another easy challenge. “You’re on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the actual theatrical play part of Oct's teaching will be coming up in the next chapter... Thank you for your patience as I work on the last two chapters. If you spot any rogue typos and point them out to me, I'll be forever grateful.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: nonconsensual outing

Macbeth. Rent. Julius Caesar. Footloose. So many wonderful, nuanced plays to explore and perform.

Theodore Roosevelt High School’s theatre students had chosen ‘The Little Mermaid’.

Since the decision was finalized nearly two weeks ago, Octavius’ life had become a whirlwind of auditions and costumes. Nearly every afternoon found him in the auditorium, planning, adjusting, dreaming of how to pull the production together. By now, Jedediah was no longer surprised to find the theatre teacher sitting in a pile of fabric onstage, surrounded by a litany of photocopied scripts. Jed was already sick of making copies.

“Hey, Gaius. You plannin’ on going home tonight? It’s nearly six o’clock.” Jed squatted down to pick up a copy of the script furiously highlighted in eye-watering green. He was promptly growled out for disturbing the system.

“I have too much to do.” The clipped words were mumbled around a pencil sticking out of his mouth.

“Oct…”

“Only three of the costumes are finished. Do you see the fish hook anywhere?”

“Octavius. C’mon Balance, remember?”

“Today was the second day of after-school rehearsals and my King Titan quit. No one has agreed to paint the scenery, and I found out that my budget is, in fact, half of what I was initially told. The chorus department apparently reserved the auditorium every day next week when we’re supposed to be practicing. I need to make posters. Also --”

“Hey. Ockie. Breathe.” A hand settled on the Italian’s shoulder. “You have over a month left before the, um, show starts, right? You’ve got plenty of time!”

Octavius rubbed his temples. In the few short months he had known Jedediah, he had grown to appreciate the other man’s cheerfulness. Jed’s optimism was his buoy in a lake of second-guessing. Jedediah made him laugh when, like the present, there was nothing inside him but stress. For all his teasing, Jed’s friendship was an unexpected comfort. But there was a line where optimism just meant nice useless words. 

“A month isn’t a lot of time for the amount of work that needs to be accomplished. I should have started sooner...”

“Well, now you know for next year. So. How about dinner?” Jed leveled a hard stare as the other began to protest. “Yer runnin’ on empty, amigo, an’ it ain’t good look for ya. You need a break. How ‘bout we compromise?”

“In what way?” Octavius was wary.

“Come eat dinner, then I’ll help ya out when I bring you back. I can…” Jed’s eyes roamed for inspiration. Sew costumes? Naw. Clean the seats? Doable, boring. Record music? He’d be thrown out quicker than boiled asparagus. “.... paint the backgrounds!”

“The scenery? It’s not like painting a barn,” Octavius sneered. He took a deep breath. If he agreed to eat, maybe Jed would get off his case. He didn’t want to admit that he suddenly found himself ravenous. “Fine.”

Before Octavius could change his mind, Jed threw him his coat and shooed him out the door. It was a little disturbing how comfortable he felt walking towards Jed’s truck, how easy it was to climb into the passenger’s seat. The low rattle of the engine as Jed turned the key had become as familiar as the purr of his own car. In all his years at his uncle’s company, he had never hitched a ride in a colleague's car. He hadn’t had much to do with them after work, either. Social engagements were once rare; now hardly a weekend passed without a summons from Jedediah.

They drove downtown until they found a food truck. Jed was obsessed with food trucks. Something about the combination of portable food and wheels just ticked all the boxes. Octavius didn’t mind too much; Jed had an uncanny ability to track down the best ones.

They ordered their food, nachos with extra jalapeños for Jed and fish tacos for Octavius, and strolled a few feet down to lean against a low brick wall. In between bites, Jed made up stories about random passersbys, each tale more outlandish than the last. He didn’t stop until he wormed a smile out of Octavius. And if Jed leaned in a little close as he talked, well that was just Jedediah. His closeness had nothing to do with Jed liking him, Octavius told himself sternly.

“You ok? That’s some expression you have on.” The cowboy licked excess cheese from his fingers. Octavius had to tear his eyes away from the gesture. Everything about Jedediah was effortless charisma. Unfair.

“Just thinking of all the work I have left to do,” Octavius lied.

“You and your one-track mind,” Jed shook his head. “Alrighty then. Talk to me about what you want for the scenery.”

“Can you even paint?” Octavius couldn’t help but ask.

“Little bit,” Jed shrugged. “I’ll do my best an’ if you hate the results, you can always paint over it.”

While Jed finished his food, Octavius described the various scenes in the play and his vision for the backgrounds. Jed asked questions here and there and ended up getting confused. Ultimately Octavius detailed the information on a napkin, which Jed promptly shoved deep into his back pocket. Octavius wasn’t feeling confident in his friend’s abilities as they climbed into Jed’s truck for the ride back to the school.

With darkness looming, the parking lot was almost totally deserted. What came as a surprise was the strange car parked beside Octavius’ vehicle. The lot had been empty when they had left for dinner nearly an hour ago.

Jed whistled. “Look at that fancy car. Wonder who that is?” He pulled in a few spots down. Both men looked at the car curiously; no staff hangtag hung from the rearview mirror. As they got out, the driver turned off his own motor. A sense of recognition passed over the Italian as the door opened.

Octavius’ heart dropped. “Lance…”

Jed whipped his head back to stare at the other man. “You know them?”

Lance Trent, executive marketing director. Tall, handsome, always perfectly styled in the latest three-piece suit. All of his suits were silver, for a reason he never divulged. Lance’s golden hair was a shade lighter than Jed’s and from what Oct could recall, his blue eyes contained a touch more gray.

Oh god. He had a type. “I used to work with him.”

Jed was prevented from questioning further as the stranger approached.

“Mr. Gaius!” Lance extended his hand towards Octavius, smiling widely. He spared his companion a nod and a cursory once over before fixing his attention back on the Italian. “You’re a hard man to locate.”

“What are you doing here, Lance?” Octavius folded his arms across his chest, noticing that Jed did the same. “Is there an issue at the company?” Not that it would be any of his concern any longer, but he couldn’t think of another reason for Lance to be here.

“Not exactly, no.” Lance smoothed an invisible wrinkle out of his jacket. “Everything is running well, but adjusting to new leadership has been somewhat of a challenge. Decisions aren’t being made as… efficiently as before. We are experiencing a little discontent among the staff as a result.”

“I am sorry to hear that.” The truth, sort of. Octavius couldn’t help but feel a spark of pride. It was nice to be missed. “But I’m not quite clear why you’re telling me this.”

“I was hoping your sabbatical was nearing an end.” Lance’s forehead wrinkled in surprise at Octavius’ puzzled look. “Surely you have taken enough time for this… play-acting stuff.”

Octavius was rendered speechless for a moment. “I did not take a sabbatical, Mr. Trent. I quit. Teaching is my career now; I cannot just leave in the middle of the semester.”

“Are you telling me that you prefer listening to kids recite poetry to running your company?” Astonishment laced the businessman’s tone.

“Listen here, _Lancelot_ , Oct is a darn good teacher,” Jed dove in hotly. “An’ the class ain’t no poetry slam.”

“For the last time, it’s never been **my** company.” Octavius responded simultaneously.

“He’s wasted here,” Lance shot back at Jed.

“Maybe so. But he’s said he’s not going back, so why don’t ya take no for an answer and mosey on back where ya came from.” Jed’s stance shifted, taking a step closer to Octavius. The gesture was silently appreciated if unwarranted. 

Lance’s gaze slid back to Octavius. Memories came unbidden to his mind: extra meetings just so he could listen to Lance’s voice, small talk by the water cooler every so often by ‘accident’, the saved emails he read and reread on his phone at night, wishing they were texts. Sometimes he imagined that Lance detected his crush, and fed it with smiles whenever he wanted something like a corner office or an extended deadline. Octavius had kept their relationship strictly as professional as he could. He had slipped up one time, his hand brushing against Lance’s and lingering a little too long. One time was all it took. The next day in the break room, Lance was loudly bragging about getting with Ginny from Accounting. Octavius could remember Lance’s eyes at that moment, as vivid and cold as they were now, gazing at him in silent mockery.

“I’ve moved on,” Octavius finally spoke. “Therefore, I’m afraid you’ll have to deal with the new management the best you can. I’m sure you’ll adapt. You’re good with people.” Sarcasm so thick that Jed picked up on it.

“Very well.” Lance shrugged with a frown. “I thought you might want to get away from this place and resume your life, but…. that’s your decision, I suppose.” He turned towards his car, mashing the unlock button on his keys. “To be honest, I’m surprised you’re still here. Little towns like this aren’t known for their tolerance. Must be hard on you, being a gay man in the boondocks.” He paused, gazing between Octavius’ pale face and the Texan’s reddening one. “Oh. I suppose they haven’t got to know you very well yet, hm? My apologies.”

Octavius couldn’t breathe. He felt as though he had been sucker-punched, which was odd; he had been punched before, but this felt way worse. Heat flushed his cheeks, a combination of anger and embarrassment. To think he had ever found Lance Trent admirable!

“Of all the low-down, dirty….” Jed took a step forward, fist clenching into a ball. His target didn’t flinch away, but stood staring at the advancing man with disdain. Octavius quickly followed, tugging at Jed’s shoulder.

“Jed, don’t. He’s not worth the trouble,” Octavius hissed. “What is it that you always tell the kids? Walk it off.”

“Someone needs to walk on out of here ‘fore I rearrange their flannel-mouthed face.” Jed continued to glare. There was little reaction from the businessman; with a shake of the head, Lance retreated to his vehicle. The two teachers watched the car back up and pull away, gliding quietly out of sight. The whole incident began to feel surreal to Octavius. Lance’s sneering words wormed their way back into his thoughts. He took a step away from Jed, observing the Texan’s posture.

Octavius had seen evidence of Jedediah’s kind nature. He had also witnessed his temper even before tonight, passionately fiery and outrageously insulting. He has no idea how the cowboy feels about the variety of human relationships. Quite possibly, Lance’s words may not yet be processed by Jed. He wondered if Jedediah’s behavior would change. If there was one thing to be said about him, Octavius Gaius was no coward. He steeled his best blank expression.

“What a blowhard!” Jed’s anger had not faded. “That was a jerk move he did, outin’ you an’ acting like he didn’t do it on purpose.”

Silence. Octavius couldn’t find his voice to agree out loud. Instead, he continued to stare at his friend. His stomach felt sour. Another moment passed with Jed grumbling mostly to himself. Finally he took in Octavius’ quiet state and grew thoughtful.

“Well. Thing is, I….” Jed licked his lips and adjusted the brim of his hat. “I know how you feel, actually. Ain’t a good feeling, but… yer alright in my book. No worries.”

“What do you mean? Someone… outed you?” Octavius held his breath. He felt torn between sympathy and anticipation. Next came guilt because he wouldn’t wish that situation on anyone, not even Lance Trent, but…. could Jed possibly…. He couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought.

“Yup. Long time ago, to my family. See, I like both the ladies and the fellas….” Another tug at the hat. “But I weren’t ready to tell them when it happened. So. I know. Wish you could’a told me when ya felt comfortable. I hate that he took that choice ‘way from you.”

“Thank you, Jedediah….” Octavius’ mind was whirling with questions, his heart beating quickly with hope. He opened his mouth to speak further, to say anything to keep this very interesting conversation going, but the other man suddenly turned away.

“Let’s get inside. Scenery’s not gonna paint itself!” Cheerfulness once again lit the Texan’s voice.

Suppressing disappointment, Octavius followed Jed towards the building. The Texan fumbled with his keys as they approached the door. Oct waited patiently for Jed to find the correct one, eventually laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 

“Are you alright, Jed?”

“Right as rain,” he answered quickly. “Here we are…” Correct key located, the two teachers made their way back inside the auditorium. Octavius returned to his pile of future costumes while Jed hunted around for painting supplies. They settled into quiet companionship, each focused upon their own tasks, both sneaking glances at each other from time to time.

Surprisingly, Octavius was the one who finally brought the workday to a close. Carefully making his way over to where Jed was squatting, he surveyed the progress over his shoulder. The artwork would improve with a second coat and shading, but at least the scene was recognizable. Colorful fishes peeked out among coral reefs along the bottom of the board while a sea turtle swam up above. Aside from the utter lack of floor covering (at least Jed wasn’t painting onstage but _dear god_ …), Octavius was impressed. He said as much to Jed, who wiped his paintbrush on a cloth and stood, stretching his back.

“Not much different than paintin’ a barn,” Jed drawled. His eyes twinkled as Octavius shot him a look.

“Smith…. You’re never modest. How was I supposed to know you were actually talented?”

“You just couldn’t take my word for it, could ya? S’ok. You’re not the first person to make assumptions, and I doubt you’ll be the last. Remember what happens when a person assumes, though, right?” Jed tilted his head and regarded Octavius with a cheeky grin.

“Makes an ass out of you and me?” Octavius replied dryly. His cheeks warmed as Jed’s smile widened mischievously.

“Yeah. But in this case, I kinda like your ass. And yer face. Yer face is real nice.”

“Your face… has paint all over it.” Octavius swallowed hard as Jed drew closer. There were so many declarations he could have made about Jedediah Smith’s face, but _that’s_ what came out of his mouth.

“And my ass?”

“Real nice.”

“Wow, so you’ve been checkin’ me out, huh?” Jed’s fingers cupped the side of Octavius’ face, his thumb lightly brushing over his bottom lip. A shiver shot down Oct’s spine. The Italian closed his eyes as the sensation of Jed’s touch lingered. He imagined how Jed’s hands would feel exploring the rest of him. He had to tap down on those thoughts quickly.

“Can I take you out sometime? Like, on a date?” Jed asked. He was delighted to discover how distracted his friend became by innocent gestures. His hand left Octavius’ cheek to ruffle the gray-streaked hair. Oct appeared less smitten.

“Yes. But I-”

“No buts,” Jed interrupted him. “We’ve moved on from butts.”

“I would be honored to go out with you, but I’m not going to have much time to date until after the play,” Octavius insisted firmly.

“You and yer one track mind.” The Texan shook his head with a mock sigh.

“Yes,” Octavius agreed solemnly. “It’s under the sea.”


	6. Chapter 6

Opening night was a disaster. Ahk developed laryngitis, Amelia got the giggles, Larry missed his cue not once but twice, then the set fell down during the final act. When the curtains closed, Octavius didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He did both, in a way. He was proud of the way his students handled themselves through each misstep, and told them so in a rousing fifteen minute speech. As the kids trudged off to decostume, he turned to see Jed leaning against the doorframe, flowers in hand. Not a bouquet of flowers, no, an entire bulbs-intact, potted tulip plant.

“They did a bang up job,” Jed announced. His smile widened as Octavius drew near. “A bit rough in places, to be honest, but they got right back on the horse and that’s admirable.”

“Thank you,” Octavius replied. He accepted the flowers from Jed, noticing how the yellow petals gradually changed to red. He wondered if the other teacher was aware of the color symbolism.

“I especially admired the set. You should give your painter a raise.” Blue eyes crinkled as Octavius looked up from his present.

“Absolutely not. There is still a blue stain on the floors from where you dripped paint,” Octavius retorted sternly. His attention was distracted by a few of his students stopping by to wave goodbye.

“Here, let me have the flowers back and I’ll take it to the truck for ya. You good to close up shop?” Jed asked after they had left. Octavius gratefully complied.

Thankfully the crowd had mostly dissipated; as the lights systematically began to turn off, the stragglers made their way out of the school. Octavius straightened some of the props before locking the auditorium. The outside air held a lingering coolness, but he hardly noticed as he crossed the parking lot. Jed was waiting by the passenger side door, attention occupied by his phone. Octavius smiled to himself as Jed became aware of his presence and wrenched the truck door open. He ignored the door in favor of Jed’s lips, which he captured into a sizzling kiss. The Texan let out an amusing little noise as he was pressed against the truck.

“What was that for? Not that I’m complainin’,” Jed croaked as they separated. Boy howdy, he would do whatever had earned him that kind of smooch again.

“A ‘thank you’ for the set as well as for all your support these past few weeks.” Octavius closed the distance between them again. This time, Jed anticipated him, eagerly deepening the kiss. How easy it was to lose themselves in this embrace. All the tension from the past few weeks seemed to melt away as he concentrated on Jed’s warmth, the feel of his arm wrapped around his lower back, bristly lips and a hand combing through his hair. Oct felt light, happy, and very very reckless. This kind of heavy PDA in the work parking lot was the definition of undisciplined.

Ultimately, Jed was the one who pulled away, reluctantly ending their moment. “C’mon now. I know you’re dog tired. Let’s get you home.”

“If that’s what you’d rather do…” Octavius smirked as Jed shuffled away looking flustered. The ride to his apartment was filled with softly crooning voices from the radio and companionable silence. His thoughts were occupied with rehashing the play in his mind, preparing mental notes for the next day.

“Are you attending tomorrow’s show?” Octavius asked as Jed pulled up at his apartment building. He was not surprised when Jed shook his head.

“Sorry, partner. One evening of singing fishies is enough for me. I’ll call ya though, and see how it went. Break a leg, right?”

“Very well. Thanks for the ride.” Octavius lifted his hand in parting as he exited the truck. “Enjoy your weekend.”

Later, as he was gratefully crawling into bed, his phone on the nightstand vibrated. A message from ‘The Barbarian’ (cowboy emoji).

_ >> good job tonight teach _

Before he could finish typing a response, another message popped up.

_ >> y r u reading this?? Go to sleep! _

Octavius quickly searched for the lengthiest cat video he could find and sent it to Jed. His phone buzzed almost immediately.

_ >> ur a cruel man _

When Octavius woke up the next morning, he had six messages from Jed. Four of them were video links, one was just a long line of cat emojis, and the latest was a good morning text.

He had little time to reply, watching one of the videos during a hastily eaten breakfast, and another later during lunch break. Octavius spent most of the day putting out proverbial fires - a costume washing gone wrong, squeaky wheels on the bottom of the set, overstimulated teenagers. It wasn’t until the curtain finally pulled back for their second and final opening act did he relax.

“How was round two?” Jed asked him that night over the phone. Mercifully, he had waited for Octavius to call him, but that hadn’t prevented him from texting throughout the entire day.

“Much better. All the students were more confident today. They just had to get the opening night jitters out of their system.” Octavius cradled the phone to his ear as he stuck some notes into his backpack. He went on to describe the cast’s improvements in detail. Tired as he was, it was nice to have a friendly ear to go over the day with.

“Weather’s getting warmer.” Jed remarked as Octavius’ chatter came to an end.

“Yes….” Octavius didn’t know how to respond to that statement. Surely they hadn’t exhausted all conversational topics to resort to the weather yet.

“Wanna come over to my place next weekend for lunch? I’ll grill out.” Jed was nonchalant, but Oct could barely detect an undercurrent of something. Nervousness? Eagerness?

“I would love to,” he answered honestly. “I can bring something for dessert, if you’d prefer.”

“Great. I’ll text ya my address.”

“Sounds good. See you at work.”

“Yup. Night, darlin’.” Any trace of previously imagined nervousness was gone; Jed’s cheerful voice almost sang out.

“G-goodnight,” Octavius stammered. He was glad Jed couldn’t see his face heating up. This wasn’t the first time the term of endearment had been used, but it still caught Octavius off guard. It had been a long time indeed since anyone had talked to him that way.

_\------------One week later…. ----------_

Octavius nearly missed the turn for Jed’s driveway due to the long line of tall trees alongside the main road. He expected the shady woods to extend into the property but was pleasantly surprised when the treeline gradually thinned then ceased as he drove on. There in the middle of a huge clearing, stood the most beautiful log cabin Octavius had ever seen.

The one story whole-log cabin was of a modest size, with an elaborately carved timber gable decorating the front of the building. The landscaping could only be classified as ‘neatly contained wilderness’; the grass was cut back, but otherwise Jed didn’t seem concerned with beautification. In the distance, a small barn stood nestled between two paddocks. A garden area was set aside, waiting for planting.

He parked and took in the scene for a moment. A couple of chickens clucked unconcernedly as Octavius made his way to the front door, balancing food containers in one arm in order to knock on the door.

“‘Round back,” Jed called out. Octavius followed whiffs of smoke around the house to a patio. Jedediah was attending a grill; as Octavius came into sight, he flipped one of the burgers into the air with an elaborate flick of the spatula. Show off.

“Find the place okay?”

“Not really, no.” Octavius placed his containers on the little table where he presumed they would be eating. “That’s the way I like it,” Jed replied cheerfully.

“I’m disappointed,” Octavius surveyed Jed’s clothes. “You’re not wearing one of those ugly aprons with an obscene slogan.”

“Why’s that? You don’t need an excuse to kiss the cook,” Jed smirked. He moved over to investigate Octavius’ contributions, lifting the salad container up with an appreciative nod before prying open the lid to the second one. Homemade cookies. Jackpot!

“Hey! You can’t eat dessert first.” Octavius frowned and moved his container away. Jed pouted, reaching around his friend to steal a cookie anyway.

“Relax, Oct. Enjoy life a little. In fact, that’s your objective for today,” Jed’s voice changed, mimicking their assistant principal who had recently lectured the teachers on establishing objectives for their lesson plans during the last staff meeting. “Octavius Gaius will chill out for the rest of the afternoon.”

“And Jedediah Smith won’t act like an ass for the same duration.”

Jed laughed and waved the spatula at the two chairs. “Have a seat. Drinks are in the cooler.”

“Thank you. Please don’t burn my burger,” Octavius sat down to watch Jed’s grilling techniques. The man had a unique way of swaying his hips as he moved from burger to burger, concentration fully devoted to his task. Oct was grateful; if Jedediah noticed how much he was ogling him, he’d never hear the end of it.

“One best-burger-of-your-life comin’ right up.” Jed did another trick with the spatula before presenting the spoils of his labor to the table.

“What did that cage contain?” Octavius nodded towards a tall crate lined with paper scraps. Initially he thought it was for chickens but the several long sticks wedged from side to side discounted the idea. He took another bite of his burger. It was a good burger; he’d give Jed that much.

“Oh, um, I found a couple of baby squirrels a while back. They were too little to survive without the mother, so I raised ‘em in there. What?” Jed blinked at Octavius’ awe-struck gaze.

“Are they domesticated? Do they still come around you?” Oct asked eagerly. He scanned the lawn as if a horde of bushy-tailed creatures would appear any second.

“Not any more, darlin’. They belong to the wild now.” Jed chucked at his friend’s visible disappointment. “Squirrels aren’t pets.”

“Not with that attitude.” Octavius sulked around a forkful of salad. They continued to eat, conversing easily until their bellies were full, Jed’s more so with the sheer amount of cookies he’d consumed.

“You really have a beautiful place here.”

“Thank you.” Pride lit Jed’s voice. “Best of both worlds: close enough to town and stuff to do but far enough away to enjoy nature. There’s a creek out back, actually. Want to check it out?”

“Sure,” Octavius replied. A stroll in the woods sounded nice, plus Jed was obviously eager to show off his home.

Jed leapt to his feet. Octavius followed at a more leisurely pace, easily catching up to his host. The Texan bumped his shoulder against the other man’s, ignoring his protest and twining their hands together on the rebound. Judging from the brief squeeze he received, he was forgiven.

A well worn path stretched through the trees, leading the couple deeper into the woods. Octavius could imagine the colors bursting in autumn. The air was cool and fresh. As they walked, Jedediah pointed out objects of interest, relating facts and little tidbits of humor. Octavius was suitably entertained as they made their way to the creek, a bubbling stream with wide, flat rocks along the banks. He wondered if Jed possessed the patience for fishing.

“In your former life you must have been an explorer,” Octavius remarked as Jedediah picked up a crawfish. He stood unflinching as Jed waved the creature in his face, eyes narrowing in disdain at the attempt to startle him.

“I dunno ‘bout that. I did used to be a park ranger before I was a teacher. Yeah, up at Zion National Park.” Jed nodded to himself. He placed the crawfish on a rock, where it promptly disappeared into the mud underneath.

“Did you have to wear one of those hats?” Octavius could very well picture Jedediah as a park ranger. He probably told all sorts of stories to the kids and drove parents batty.

“Do you have a thing for hats or something?”

“Excuse me?” Equal amounts of amusement and confusion lit Octavius’ expression.

“I’ve seen that weird helmet in your apartment.” Jedediah had set foot inside Octavius’ apartment only once so far. Octavius could well remember his friend’s wide blue eyes roaming over his bookshelves and studying his wall art. He had wondered what Jed had thought of his modern apartment, meticulously clean and orderly. He had gotten the impression that Jed had been uncomfortable although he never said as much.

“That ‘helmet’ is called a galea. It’s part of an ancient Roman soldier’s uniform.”

“It looks,” Jed drawled, “like something Marvin the Martian wears.”

Octavius rolled his eyes. “You’re ridiculous. Really, Jedediah? Comparing a noble warrior to a cartoon character?”

“‘Looney Tunes’ is a classic!”

“Sure. A children’s classic. Appropriate for your mental age, I suppose.”

“You’re just mad ‘cause I made a good point an’ you don’t want to admit it.”

They bickered all the way back to the cabin. Jed tried to take Octavius’ hand again but the Italian playfully thwarted every attempt. Eventually Jed enveloped Octavius in a bear hug from behind, growling his frustration into an ear. Oct’s laughter was worth the elbow jab that followed. Jed held tight yet Oct managed to squirm away, eyes warm as he shook his head in exasperation.

“Come here, you.” Octavius gave in. He finally accepted Jedediah’s hand, watching those beautiful blue eyes widen as he lifted it to his lips. Jed stood stock still for a moment, returning Octavius’ gaze.

“Well, ain’t you the gentleman,” Jed spoke huskily. He took a step closer, free hand gently tracing Octavius’ jawline. He leaned in further, watching as the man’s eyelids flutter close in anticipation. He did not disappoint. A chaste kiss, to start off with, slowly delving into a more passionate display.

“Do you have a thing for manners or something?” Octavius panted as they separated. His hand was no longer holding Jed’s, but clutching blue fabric.

“Maybe. That or I have a thing for uptight new teachers who constantly try to one-up me,” Jed quipped.

“You’re the one who started all that competition, Jedediah Smith.” Anything else Octavius was going to say was cut off as Jed claimed his mouth once more, sending his thoughts scattering. Jed’s kisses were all warmth, slightly scratchy, heady.

“C’mon. Let’s get back,” Jed murmured. This time he faced no issues with taking his friend’s hand.

Once inside in the cabin, Octavius accepted his host’s offer of a cold drink. His gaze lingered on the refrigerator, haphazardly decorated with old Christmas photos and milestone announcements. Were these smiling people Jed’s family? Friends? Old lovers?

“Hey, Oct.” He turned at the sound of his name, observing Jed in the doorway. The blond head jerked in the direction of another room; Octavius followed quietly, sipping his beverage. He found himself in the cabin’s living room, surrounded by evidence of Jedediah’s daily life: stacks of ungraded papers littered the coffee table, his laptop was half-hidden under a pillow on the couch. A stack of magazine hovered dangerously near the edge of an end table. Some sort of agricultural tool was dismantled near the television remotes. Unorganized, but not trashy, at least. Octavius couldn’t stand uncleanness.

“Nice of you to make an effort,” he couldn’t help but needle.

“I thought my grilling skills would be impressive enough,” Jed countered, sweeping the papers to one side and moving his laptop onto the coffee table. “Besides, best to know what you’re getting up front, hm? Have a seat.”

Octavius complied. Jed sat down next to him, pressing hip to hip. The other man’s proximity made his heart skip a beat, even as Jed shifted to better face him. Was Jed going to resume their outside activities? Yes. Yes, he was. Octavius eagerly met him halfway.

“One thing I always tell people is to check themselves for ticks after walkin’ through the forests.” Jed’s hands slid under Oct’s shirt. He heard Octavius’ breath hitch as he stroked over the man’s stomach.

“Is that so?” Octavius hummed. Calloused fingers danced up his ribcage, just shy of tickling. They darted higher as Jed bent down, pressing a kiss against his exposed chest. His left thumb slowly circled a nipple. Heat coiled in Octavius’ belly with each stroke.“You’re being very…mmm….thorough.”

“I have to be a good host, after all,” Jed purred. He tugged impatiently at the crumpled wad of Octavius’ shirt, relieved when the man obediently raised his arms to assist. The garment was carelessly tossed aside before his own was stripped off. He mouth recaptured Octavius’, eager and demanding, before he nibbled his way down the man’s throat. “Make ya feel welcome an’ at ease.”

Octavius didn’t feel at ease; he felt _hard._ He put up little resistance as Jed guided him down on the couch. He rocked his hips upwards, delighting to feel a similar bulge nudging him back. Octavius repeated the movement a little more forcefully, smirking at Jed’s response.

“Easy, fella! Can’t make a man too hot ’n bothered; he’s liable to do all sorts of things…” Jed bit back a groan. He was losing control of the situation, and Octavius wasn’t cooperating. A hand ghosted over his jean-clad ass. “Oh… yer frisky.”

“I thought you wanted me to one-up you?” Octavius ruffled the blond hair as Jed nuzzled his shoulder. The Texan’s weight on top of him was comfortable. Too bad Jed had no intentions of cuddling for long.

Propping himself up, Jed’s attention wandered haphazardly, fingers stroking a small scar along Octavius’ ribcage one moment, mouth pressing against warm skin the next. There was no methodical logic to Jed’s exploration, but it mattered little. Jed’s touch was loving; Octavius shivered under the man’s admiration. His breath was coming faster now, a bolt of longing shooting down his spine as kisses rained down his stomach.

“If ya don’ mind sitting back up….” Jed murmured. Octavius complied, pulse quickening as the blond knelt down on the floor between his knees. _Oh per favore si._

Fingers tugged at his zipper; Octavius lifted his hips as hands pulled his pants down. A layer of underwear followed and suddenly the Italian found himself fully bared. Jedediah’s frantic movements slowed as he took in the sight before him.

“Dang, partner, you’re thick,” Jed whistled appreciatively. Octavius reddened further, somehow looking both embarrassed and pleased. “Do you mind if I…. that is, I’d like to….”

“Go ahead,” Octavius croaked. Hungrily he watched Jed lick his lips as fingers tentatively wrapped around his shaft. An appreciative noise escaped as the fist stroked him a few times. The blond’s head bent; exquisite warmth enveloped Octavius’ tip. Jed’s tongue experimentally swirled around the sensitive head.

“T-tease,” the Italian gasped. Jed repeated the motion to wrangle another restrained moan. God, and he thought Jed’s mouth was torturous before…

“Oh, you like that, don’cha?” For some reason Jed let go, provoking Octavius to repeat his previous statement. “Nah. Just savorin’ the moment. Haven’t you heard of foreplay?”

“You are….” Octavius bit his lip as the blond’s tongue slowly traced the underside of his cock downwards. Fucking superb. “Ah… i-impossible…”

“Yeah? How so?” Jed drawled, lightly cupping his balls. Octavius tensed, but thankfully the Jed’s touch was careful. Pleasantly careful. Yes. That felt _good._

“Foreplay generally occurs b-before…hmm…!” Octavius took a deep breath. Jed’s mouth was now pressing kisses against his stomach again, quite awkwardly ignoring his erection. The caresses to his ball sac were becoming more animated.

“Before…?” Jed prompted him without ceasing.

“ _Gods_! Before you put the dick in your mouth.”

“That can’t be a universal rule. Like you said, I was teasin’ ya.”

“Are you going to get back there sometime today?”

“Mr. Gaius,” Jed sighed. “You are incredibly bossy. Good thing you’re cute.” His gaze lifted to meet Octavius’, marveling at those warm chocolatey eyes, pupils blown with desire. Without breaking eye contact, Jed guided the shaft into his mouth, winking saucily.

“You—“ What suspiciously sounded like a giggle, broke off. Little by little, Jed swallowed more of him. Octavius’ head hit the back of the couch. “— _Ohh…!_ ”

Finding a comfortable rhythm, Jed began sucking in earnest. Octavius’ fingers buried themselves in the bobbing golden strands. The Texan’s mouth was sending tremors radiating throughout his body, depriving him of rational thought, of any thought, really, except the need for Jed to continue. His soft murmurs of appreciation gave way to involuntary noises of increasing frequency.

He did not last long. In the hands, well, mouth of Jedediah’s demanding enthusiasm, how could he? Jed appeared pleased as he let go of Octavius’ spent member.

“I guess I won’t expect any pillow talk,” Jed remarked after a long stretch of silence.

“What do you mean?” Octavius mumbled. The pleasant edges of ecstasy were fading, leaving him drowsy. He ought to make himself presentable again but he was too warm to straighten his clothing.

Jedediah chuckled. He surveyed his sprawled, disheveled colleague with satisfaction. “Yer going to sleep on me….”

“I am not. Just… resting…” He thought he heard a ‘mmhmm’ drawled down below.

When Octavius woke, he found a familiar red bandana strategically placed over his crotch. He pulled his trousers up and went in search of a bathroom. Afterwards, he found Jedediah back in the kitchen, washing up dishes. Octavius felt a pang of guilt.

“Did ya have a nice nap?” Jed drained the sink.

“Mmm,” Octavius replied. His cheeks reddened as Jed winked.

“Would you like to stay over tonight?”

Octavius sucked in a breath. _‘Yes’_ was his immediate thought, but his own eagerness startled him. They were two consenting adults; he had nothing to be embarrassed about but Jedediah made him feel so… giddy.

“I didn’t bring anything with me,” he answered instead. “Um. Clothes. Or a toothbrush.”

“We’re almost the same size, you can borrow my clothes."

“I’m not sharing your underwear, Jedediah.”

“I have a washing machine! Wash your own bloomers. If this is your way of turning me down, just say so.” Jed folded his arms across his chest with a frown.

“No, that’s not what I’m trying to do at all,” Octavius countered. “I would love to stay with you. I’m simply surprised that you… want to…” He trailed off. Jed was drawing nearer, his frown gone. The Texan stole a kiss; thankfully he had rinsed his mouth during Octavius’ nap.

“I very much want to, if yer sure that you feel the same.” Jedediah studied Octavius’ face as the other teacher nodded. “Good. If I go get you a toothbrush, you’ll stay?”

“I can drive home and get my stuff,” Octavius offered.

“Naw. Store’s closer.”

“Are you that hard up?” Octavius choked back a laugh at Jed’s look. “Nevermind. Sorry.”

“Get your Italian ass in the truck, Gaius.”

The drive to the nearest convenience store went surprisingly calm. Octavius felt as though a silly grin was permanently plastered on his face, and had to school his expression into suitable disinterest as they entered the building.

“Here, this one okay?” Jed grabbed the first toothbrush he saw as they rounded the dental aisle.

“That’s not the brand I prefer…”

“You have a _brand_ of toothbrush?!”

“Hey, Mr. Smith! Hey, Mr. Gaius.”

Octavius froze. Jed reacted first, plastering on that wide crooked grin as he turned to face the teenaged employee.

“Ahk! Didn’t know ya worked here,” Jed drawled.

“Yeah, since last week, actually. What are you guys doing?” The student glanced between the two teachers curiously.

“Lesson planning,” Octavius blurted out.

“Mmhm…,” Jed agreed slowly. “Which is why we need about… twenty-three more of these, right?” His blue eyes twinkled as he grabbed two handfuls of toothbrushes.

“Uh, which class is that for?” Ahkmenrah watched Mr. Smith dump the brushes into Mr. Gaius’ arms. The theatre teacher frowned but said nothing.

“You’ll have to wait and see. Ready to check out, Mr. Gaius?”

“Yes. Have a good afternoon,” Octavius nodded to the student and began to make his way to the checkout line.

“Oh, I can ring you guys up,” Ahkmenrah cheerfully followed the pair.

“So, what made you get a job, Ahk?” Jed asked. It was no secret that Ahkemerah’s parents were one of the richest families in the community.

“I wanted to help Larry out with the baby. I’ve baby-sat Nicky twice now. He’s really cute. And diapers are expensive!”

“Oh! That’s very nice of you. I hope Larry appreciates what a good friend he has in you.” Two dozen toothbrushes scanned and bagged later, the two teachers left the store.

“Lesson planning? Really, Oct?” Jed snickered as they climbed back into the truck.

“I told you to take me to my apartment!” Octavius shook his head.

“Oh, well. You have enough toothbrushes to get laid for a month.”

“Jed!”

“What?! I’m just sayin’!”

“There is no need to be so crass.”

“I ain’t being crass; I’m statin’ the facts.”

“Crass and overly optimistic.” Octavius looked out the window to hide his smile. A hand settled on his knee. He placed his own hand atop Jed’s. It was a quiet drive home, both men aware of the pleasant tension between them.

“Wait a moment.” Jed hopped out of the truck first. He practically raced around the front to wrench open the passenger door. As soon as Octavius’ feet hit the ground, Jed was pulling him along.

Octavius barely registered anything about Jed’s bedroom before the man himself was before him, all hands and frantic kisses. Clothes were shed and abandoned into disgraceful heaps as they stumbled their way towards the bed. In the future, Octavius hoped they would make love, the slow, leisurely kind of intimacy, but this night promised to be one of the hard and fast varieties. Octavius found that he did not mind one bit.

Warm. They were already so warm, so perfectly bare. Down they tumbled, limbs twining together, apart, every point of contact along their bodies necessary and not enough. Jed’s mouth grazed along Octavius’ jawline then down his throat, nipping at that sensitive spot at his shoulder. He managed to roll the Italian onto his back, and it was then that Octavius noticed something interesting.

“There’s a window in your ceiling.”

“That’s called a skylight, babe.” Jed reached down to stroke Octavius’ arousal. He was pleased to find him so hard already. Good, their previous activities hadn’t tired him out.

“H-how do you wash it?” Octavius moaned softly as Jed’s hand sped up.

“Window cleaner, newspaper, and a ladder.”

Octavius opened his mouth.

“Hoss, if you ask one more question about that darn skylight, I’m rolling off here and gettin’ in the shower,” Jed glared. “I’d have thought I would be more interestin’ than a window.”

“I’ve seen a lot of guys with crooked noses, but only one skylight.”

Jed’s jaw dropped. “I take back everything I have ever said about you being a gentleman,” he hissed.

Octavius laughed. In two quick movements he had Jed on his back, peppering kisses across his brow. He ran a hand down Jed’s side, over a hip. He took the Texan’s cock in hand, stroking slowly at first, relishing the noises Jed expelled. His actions endured until Jed grew impatient, rolling them over again.

“Do you have lube?” Octavius whimpered as Jed tugged his hand away, pressing their hips together.

“Yeah, hang on,” Jed scrambled to search inside a nightstand. As he turned back to the bed, container in hand, he surveyed Octavius sprawled out, waiting. Great grandma Mary might be appalled to know what was going on atop her quilt, but in Jed’s eyes, there was never a more beautiful sight.

“You certainly know what you want,” Jed eagerly took his place between bent legs. A single slick finger teased Octavius’ entrance: one circular journey around, two, a little tighter, three, inside. Tight.

“Be patient. Give me time…” Octavius groaned.

“That’s not the phrase I had in mind. How ‘bout…. ‘more, Jed’? Or ‘that feels good’?”

“I shouldn’t have to say any of those things if you do your part correctly.” Octavius’ eyes slid closed as his cock was attended to. Dual sensations of pain and pleasure from Jed’s hands enveloped him.

“You always have to have the last word, don’cha?” Jed wriggled deeper, watching Octavius’ grip on the blanket briefly tighten. Those gorgeous lips parted, releasing a guttural noise that made Jed’s cock twitch in response.

“I thought… our relationship was built on… b-banter.” A second finger began stretching him.

“Only because neither one of us knows when to shut up. I bet ya have something to say ‘bout this.” Those long fingers withdrew; Jed shifted, smirking. Octavius groaned as the tip of Jed’s cock slowly penetrated him. The Texan was persistent and unrelenting. Something in Italian was gasped out. Full, he was so full. But Jedediah kept pushing deeper until Octavius involuntarily twitched with ecstasy.

“Yeah. That’s more like it,” Jed crooned. Gentle at first, his hips gradually began to move quicker as he felt Octavius adjust. He shifted and Oct moved with him, hooking one muscled leg across his back. He then gave a series of sudden, deep thrusts, earning him an unintelligible whine.

“Ya gotta be clear on what ya want, darlin’.”

“Jed. Fuck me,” Octavius rasped. More. He needed more. Every nerve was screaming for Jed to continue.

“You got it, partner. Let Ol’ Diah wear you out.” And Jed did just that, giving Octavius every ounce of his energy until they both collapsed, spent, drenched in sweat, and utterly contented.

“Not too rustic for you?” Jed spoke up after a good while of silence. Octavius had cleaned himself up and was now looking over his room.

“….the sex?”

“What!? No! The house." Jed sounded annoyed.

“You did not specify… I can’t read your mind just yet,” Octavius replied dryly. He paused, listening to Jed shift. “No. I like it. Your house suits you.”

“And do I… suit you?” Gods. He was a dork.

“Did you miss my quite loud exclamations on that point a few minutes ago or were you not listening?”

“I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout that!” Jed yanked Octavius’ pillow out from under his head. Too bad it only made the Italian laugh. Normally he appreciated Octavius’ laughter but not now.

“What **are** you talking about then?” Octavius curled onto his side, nudging his way onto Jed’s pillow. Forehead met forehead; Jed wouldn’t give up ground. Pillow hogger. Noted for the future.

“Seein’ as you’re all sophisticated an’ I’m…. not.” Jed cleared his throat. “But I like you, Octagon.”

“Anche io ti amo. I care for you just as you are.”

“….Pretty sure you just said ‘I love you’.”

Octavius rolled away to stifle a yawn. “Isn’t that what you said as well?”

“Yeah. I reckon so.” Jed’s voice was usually soft.

Octavius smiled, watching Jed slowly match his expression. What a strange journey life had taken him on to this moment. If anyone had told him months ago that he would end up falling for Jedediah Smith, he would have laughed them out of the room. Yet, even in the heat of the moment, he felt secure. Jed’s friendship had been easily given, but his love was something Octavius never wanted to be without again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I suck at wrapping stories up. 
> 
> The Animal Science teacher at my school really did rescue baby squirrels and brought them to work for us to hold. I'm sure that's the part you guys focused on. :P The diapered lamb is 100% true as well.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope this chapter gave you a chuckle or two. Domestic fluff is the way I roll.


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